Kengo Kuma unveils curved tower in Vancouver

Called Alberni by Kuma, the 43-storey building will located in Vancouver's West End neighborhood. It will sit near the entrance to the 404-hectare Stanley Park, one of the largest city parks in the US and Canada.

"I have always wanted to have a project in Canada because of its closeness to nature," said Kuma, 61, who founded his eponymous Tokyo-based practice in 1990.

"Typologically, this is a large-scale project in North America, a dream for any foreign architect. We have done towers, but not to this scale and level of detail."

The distinctive tower features two concave sides, resulting in a curved form.

The design aims to convey a sense of connectivity and transparency through its materiality. The tower will be clad in anodised aluminium and glass, allowing it to reflect the sky and neighbouring buildings.

Renderings and models show a lattice-like wooden screen covering the concave portions of the tower.

At its base, the building will be surrounded by trees and moss – a reference to traditional Japanese gardens. Inside, it will feature ample use of wood, a material commonly used by the architect.

"The design celebrates the presence of nature in Vancouver," said Kuma.

"In this project, the minimal glazing details and the layered landscaping blur conventional boundaries to enhance the sense of continuity," he added.

The tower will contain 181 residential units with spacious patios, along with retail space and a restaurant.

The project is being backed by Westbank and Peterson, two leading developers of luxury buildings in Canada.